……… HELPING CHILDREN BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE

Menu

Month: November 2013

Talking with my four children has always been important to me, but depending on their age, it can be a challenge to get a two-way conversation to flow back and forth. So I came up with the perfect game at dinner time – The High and Low Point of My Day Game.

When we sit down for dinner I begin the game by saying what the highest point of my day was – enjoying a cup of coffee, having a nice conversation with my girlfriend, Lisa – then I proceed to say what the low point of my day was.

Then we go around the table and everyone must participate in the game. The great thing about this game, it opens the doors for further conversations on any of their high or low points for their day, you learn more about what they experienced throughout the day, they feelings they experienced, and it gives them an opportunity to ask you specific questions about your day.

For example, my teenage son said that his high point was getting out of school at noon, and his low point was getting a low-grade on his test. Although this is a silly question, all children enjoy getting out of school early, but I asked “Why do you like getting out of school early?” He said, “I was tired today.” The conversation continued and then I asked, “Did you go to bed late?” He nodded, and then I asked about his low point; he got a low grade on his test. I asked him why. “I didn’t study…” he said. “That’s too bad, maybe you should have gotten more sleep, and you’ll have to study even harder next time.”

The rules of the game are:

No electronic devices allowed

No television

Everyone participates

Try not to get upset if you hear something you do not like, take a deep breath, and ask more questions.

Dinner time should be relaxing and fun. It’s all about sharing your day. This is just one more way to increase communication between you & your family, regardless of their ages.

Enjoy the game and have a great dinner! Please share your dinner-time-fun!